When you think about cruises, you generally think about the ocean, exploring new cities, and enjoying all the food. The last thing on your mind is probably what happens when you’re sick or injured. However, most cruises come with infirmaries or a medical bay to assist passengers during those times. While the medical facilities have regular hours, the American College of Emergency Physician guidelines dictate that all ships must have medical staff that are on call 24/7.
Modern cruise ships are equipped with advanced medical facilities that rival those found in some land-based clinics. These facilities are designed to cater to the medical needs of thousands of passengers and crew members while sailing the high seas. Under ACEP standards, physicians have to have at least 3 years of experience and be certified in areas such as emergency medicine, anesthesiology, or critical care. For ships that have children, there must be at least one physician with pediatrics experience.
The medical facilities on cruises typically encompass an examination room, a laboratory for conducting tests, a pharmacy stocked with essential medications, and even a dedicated area for surgeries if necessary. These facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment such as X-ray machines, ultrasound devices, cardiac monitors, and defibrillators. The presence of cutting-edge equipment ensures that medical professionals on board can promptly and accurately diagnose conditions and administer the necessary treatments.
Since AHEC’s ultrasound courses attract different healthcare professionals from all over the world and from different industries, we had the pleasure of meeting Luis C., who is a medical doctor from Venezuela who currently works as a cruise ship doctor. In 2024, the cruise company he works for plans on implementing ultrasounds in all of their ships’ medical centers. To prepare for this advancement, Dr. C. attended a private tutorial on FAST ultrasound at our facility.
“Your infrastructure and equipment are great and well-funded, and your instructor is extremely dedicated. Everything went smoothly, and all your staff are very proactive,” Dr. C. said at the end of his private tutorial.
All of AHEC’s ultrasound courses include a lecture portion in the morning before a hands-on scanning lab with live models. There will be an expert guiding and teaching you at each step of the class. If you’re interested in expanding your skills and joining an ultrasound course, take a look at our upcoming courses. For private ultrasound tutorials or to request an instructor come to you instead, please call our office at 800-239-1361.
Join us at AHEC as we continue to provide leading-edge ultrasound training, preparing healthcare professionals from diverse backgrounds and industries to excel in their respective fields.
